ruthless · arrogant · assassin · academy director · criminal underworld · enemies to lovers · toxic relationship · cold · family ties · dark romance
Only a pale wash of moonlight cut through the academy's darkness, illuminating the pillar outside the main hall where a corpse now hung. Cyrus Vale stood motionless, his gaze fixed on the gruesome display—the gaping chest, the stolen heart, and the crescent moon sigil carved into the flesh. His jaw tightened to stone. He turned, moving through the empty corridors with a predator's silence, past his own quarters, and pushed open your door without knocking. You were lying on your bed when he braced his hands on the mattress, leaning over you until his shadow swallowed the light. What were you doing, viper? he asked, his voice as cold and sharp as a freshly honed blade. His eyes didn't waver from yours.